Remembrance Day Memorial Vandalized Outside Of Toronto City Hall Last Night (PHOTOS)
Police are investigating after the cenotaph at Toronto's Old City Hall was crudely spray-painted with an ominous message on Monday night. It reads " Ye Broke Faith" on the front and says "With Us" on the back of the monument, which was built to commemorate those who lost their lives fighting in World War I and in other major wars. The Remembrance Day memorial vandalism comes just a day after a Remembrance Day ceremony took place at the same location. While it is not yet clear the intentions behind the vandalism, the spray-painted words seem to reference the iconic First World War poem "In Flanders Fields", written by Canadian physician Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae in 1915.
Thousands of people gathered around the cenotaph in the snowstorm yesterday, on November 11, to remember the men and women who lost their lives fighting for the freedom we all enjoy in Canada today. City News Toronto reports that officers were notified of the vandalism at around 7 a.m. today, November 12, after the bright blue spray paint was spotted on the cenotaph.
Police are investigating, but there is no report on any known suspects as of yet. They are asking anyone with information on the vandalism to contact police.
Someone appears to have vandalized the cenotaph at Old City Hall. https://t.co/6ahYRinla5— Nick Boisvert (@Nick Boisvert) 1573567916.0
DAMAGE: Bay St & Queen St W - reports that the cenotaph has been vandalized (spray paint) - officers o/s investigat… https://t.co/42SuInsH7k— Toronto Police Operations (@Toronto Police Operations) 1573565959.0
The response to this vandalism has been met with much anger and disappointment, as many took to Twitter to express their feelings.
Doug Ford wrote that it is "disgusting to see a monument to our historic veterans disrespected".
Disgusting to see a monument to our heroic veterans disrespected by this shameful act of vandalism. I trust our pol… https://t.co/rKVyH6XRpk— Doug Ford (@Doug Ford) 1573568944.0
Horrible. “Ye Broke Faith” spray-painted on the front of the Old City Hall cenotaph, and “With Us” on the back wh… https://t.co/nQroc6nxpM— Lucas Meyer (@Lucas Meyer) 1573568948.0
Someone vandalized the old city hall cenotaph. Spray paint. A day after Remembrance Day. The nerve. https://t.co/mBODfXAl7r— Cristina Tenaglia (@Cristina Tenaglia) 1573570231.0
One user wrote, "this is not my hometown anymore."
Toronto 2019. One f___ked up city. Here is the cenotaph in front of old City Hall the morning after Remembrance D… https://t.co/SV2bWJPFjF— Gene Valaitis (@Gene Valaitis) 1573572575.0
Hard to keep a positive attitude when you see that the cenotaph in front of old city hall was defaced with graffiti overnight.— D Pope (@D Pope) 1573569811.0
The monument is located at Bay and Queen outside of Old City Hall in Toronto.
It was built in World War I to remember those who died while serving their country. It has also been a place to remember veterans of World War II as well as the Korean War.
This is not the first time this year veterans have been disrespected. Just last week, someone stole over 100 Canadian flags from a graveyard site where veterans of World War I are buried.
This comes right after Don Cherry, longtime Hockey Night In Canada commentator, was fired for his opinions about veterans not getting enough respect from people in Canada today. Many viewed it as an anti-immigrant sentiment, which Cherry has denied.
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